Monday, April 27, 2009

Expo 67 Opening Ceremonies

Expo 67's official opening ceremonies were held exactly 42 years ago today.

The invitation-only ceremonies were held at Place des Nations on the sunny Thursday afternoon of April 27, 1967. Expo was officially inaugurated by Governor General Roland Michener, with over 7,000 guests in attendance, including 53 heads of state.

Over 1000 reporters covered the event, which was broadcast in color, live via satellite, to a world-wide audience of over 700,000,000.

The Governor General of Canada, Roland Michener.

12 cadets from the Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean carried in a torch that was lit in a ceremony 2 years prior. The torch bearer was Joseph Philip Lonuel, who passed it on in order of hierarchy of governance. It was passed to the Commissioner General of Expo 67, Pierre Dupuy; who passed it to the Mayor of Montreal, Jean Drapeau; who passed it to the Premier of Quebec, Daniel Johnson, Senior; who finally passed it to the Prime Minister of Canada, Lester B. Pearson.

The Prime Minister used the torch to light the Expo Flame, which would burn the entire duration of Expo 67.